The Cambridge Companion to Football

by Rob Steen (Editor), Jed Novick (Editor), Huw Richards (Editor)

Overview

Football is the world's most popular sport. It is a cultural phenomenon and a global media spectacle. For its billions of fans, it serves as a common language. But where does its enduring popularity come from? Featuring essays from prominent experts in the field, scholars and journalists, this Companion covers ground seldom attempted in a single volume about football. It examines the game's oft-disputed roots and traces its development through Europe, South America and Africa, analysing whether resistance to the game is finally beginning to erode in China, India and the United States. It dissects the cult of the manager and how David Beckham redefined sporting celebrity. It investigates the game's followers, reporters and writers, as well as its most zealous money makers and powerful administrators. A valuable resource for students, scholars and general readers, The Cambridge Companion to Football is a true and faithful companion for anyone fascinated by the people's game.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781107423961
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	07/04/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Rob Steen is an author, sportswriter and journalism lecturer. A contributor to The Cambridge Companion to Cricket and an acclaimed Cricinfo columnist since 2008, he has also written for, among others, The Guardian, The Independent, The Sunday Times, The Financial Times, India Today, the Melbourne Age and Marxism Today. His previous books include Spring, Summer, Autumn (William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award runner-up), biographies of Desmond Haynes and David Gower (Cricket Society Literary Award winner) and 500-1: The Miracle of Headingley '81 (Cricket Society Literary Award runner-up). He edited the cricket journal The New Ball, and his investigation for The Wisden Cricketer, 'Whatever Happened to the Black Cricketer?', won the UK section of the 2005 EU Journalism Award 'for diversity, against discrimination'. His next books, to be published in 2014, are Sports Journalism: A Multimedia Primer, 2nd edition and Touchlines and Floodlights: A Personal History of Spectator Sport.
Jed Novick is a journalist, author and Senior Lecturer in Sport Journalism at the University of Brighton.
Huw Richards is a freelance journalist and sports historian.

Table of Contents

List of contributors; List of figures and tables; Chronology; Foreword Sir Michael Parkinson; Introduction Alan Tomlinson; Part I. Foundations: 1. Kicking off: the origins of association football Dave Russell; The game-changers: Billy Meredith Huw Richards; 2. Uruguay: the first world power Chris Taylor; The game-changers: Henri Delaunay Huw Richards; 3. Austria and Hungary: the Danubian School Huw Richards; The game-changers: Alfredo Di Stéfano Rob Steen; 4. Italy: football as politics – Mussolini to Berlusconi Paddy Agnew; The game-changers: Pelé Huw Richards; 5. Brazil: rhythm and grooves Jim White; The game-changers: Diego Maradona Huw Richards; 6. Africa: towards global football citizenship? Paul Darby; The game-changers: Eusébio Rob Steen; Part II. Development: 7. Money, money, money: the English Premier League Peter Berlin; The game-changers: Didier Drogba Jed Novick; 8. The boss: a very British convention Colin Shindler; The game-changers: Sir Alex Ferguson Will Tidey; 9. David Beckham and the celebrity phenomenon Jed Novick; The game-changers: George Best Rob Steen; 10. Football and feminism Jean Williams; The game-changers: Mia Hamm Huw Richards; 11. Fans: consumers, hooligans and activists John Williams; The game-changers: Franz Beckenbauer Rob Steen; 12. Sheepskin coats and nannygoats: the view from the press box Rob Steen; The game-changers: Havelange, Blatter and Platini – the ruling class Rob Steen and John Vale; 13. Brought to book: football and literature Peter Stead; The game-changers: Johan Cruyff Jon Vale; Part III. Where We Are: 14. What took you so long? Spain conquers the world Huw Richards; The game-changers: José Mourinho Jed Novick; 15. Where next? Football's new frontiers Toby Miller; The game-changers: Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo Jed Novick; Further reading; Index.